morning, the bus went off the pennsylvania turnpike. slamming into a tree. the left front side sheered off. the driver and the head coach, 30-year-old kristina quigley were killed. quigley was six months pregnant. her baby didn't make it. all of the 23 people on board were injured. abc news has learned that this bus company has an excellent safety record and carries ncaa teams and military. >> it can happen to any company. that's why you need broad-based safety standards for operator performance as well as for the vehicle performance. >> reporter: this is just the latest in a string of deadly bus crashes. the national transportation safety board said it stepped up standards and inspection, but experts say more needs to be done to make sure they are all equipped with seat belts and drivers are trained. it's 10 cents per passenger trip that it will cost the industry to put these safety standards into effect. >> reporter: at this point, investigators don't know what caused the accident.

john, abc news, new york. >> thanks. now to another crash, this one in florida, when a hot air balloon got tangled with power lines. nfl free agent dante stallworth is in the hospital with serious burns tonight. that balloon crashed into power lines near miami. his agent said he will survive. one of the other passengers was also injured. this crash comes days after the funerals for the victims in the other historic accident, the balloon crash in egypt after the fire broke out. one of the deadliest balloon accidents ever, killing 19 people. we are learning more tonight after the plane crash in florida we reported on last night. the ntsb is on the scene. a small plane went down after takeoff? ft. lauderdale, exploding into flames in a nearby parking lot. all three people on board were killed, amazingly no one in the parking lot was hurt. they're looking at mechanical failures. it comes as federal investigators are trying to reduce small plane crashes that

kill nearly 500 people every year. in the west, fire fighters are battling their first giant wildfire of the season, four weeks before the season is supposed to start. hundreds of neighbors have been sent alerts, it's burning up to 1,000 acres, and the conditions are so ripe so early this year. here's abc news clayton sandell. >> reporter: fire fighters are desperately trying to control the blaze before high winds kick in, potentially supercharging the flames. >> there is still a lot of fire on the ground. as you can see, the whole west side of the fire is open. it's burning up slope. >> reporter: it started so early in the season, much of the nation's fire fighting forces are not ready. >> this time of year there are not a lot of resources available. the resources that are available come a distance. >> reporter: there is progress, hundreds of people forced to evacuate friday will be able to go home tonight. >> no injuries.

>> reporter: for colorado, it's deja vu. last march this fire sent families scrambling for their lives, and in june, another massive blaze swept through the area burning now. one person was killed, 250 homes destroyed. >> this is becoming seemingly not unusual for colorado. >> reporter: heading towards summer, fire dangers will be highest in parts of california, the southwest and florida. fire fighters hope they'll have more time to get ready. clayton sandell, abc news, los angeles. >> thank you. overseas this evening to the intensifying threat from north korea. the new leader kim jong un and his unexpectedly quick advance have the u.s. on heightened alert. last night we reported on two more short-range missiles. the pentagon is adding to intercepters already in place along the west coast. they are deploying 14 new intercepters in alaska. they are designed to detect a north korean launch with

satellites and radars. they would be fired off. i want to bring in martha raddatz tonight. you reported that this system as a whole has had mixed results. >> it has, david. the pentagon says they have confidence in the system, but these ground-based intercepters have a spotty record. in december 2010 after a failed test, the testing was suspended. but in january of this year, there was a successful intercept. >> you and i were talking about the bigger picture, when you hear the u.s. is bolstering its defense along the coast, it sounds like something out of the cold war, how serious is this? >> the u.s. doesn't think north korea is going to launch a missile and is years away from being able to put a nuclear warhead on top of one, but north korea is making faster progress than expected. what is really worrying the u.s. is the road mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles that north korea has. not only could they reach the united states, but because they

are mobile, they are very hard to track. >> thank you. martha raddatz will be filling in for george first thing in the morning on "this week." among her guests, house speaker john boehner, that's tomorrow morning. we'll all be watching right here. in the meantime, there is fallout on a change from a devicive issue from a republican in washington. senator rob portman says he will support gay marriage after his son told him he's gay. some of the constituents are reacting tonight. here's abc rooe that new york nan. >> my son came to jane, my wife, and i, and told us that he was gay. >> that was the moment republican senator rob portman began changing his opposition to same-sex marriage. >> he's going to make a lot of people in the conservative wing of the republican party quite upset. >> reporter: but for portman, it was not about politics. >> to have the joy and the stability of marriage that i've had for over 26 years. i want all three of my kids to have that, including our son who is gay.

>> reporter: that son, 21-year-old will portman tweeting, especially proud of my dad today. but there was a backlash from some of the conservative constituents. >> you're a republican and all of a sudden you're against, like, gay marriage and stuff, and your son comes out and you want to change your view, that's hypocritical. >> reporter: opposition from john boehner in an exclusive interview with martha for this week airing tomorrow. >> can you imagine yourself in a situation where you reversed your decision on gay marriage if a child of yours or someone you love told you they were gay? >> i believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. it's what i grew up with, it's what i believe. >> reporter: at the end of the month, the supreme court will take up the defense of marriage act, something that portman originally supported, david. >> thank you. to ohio this evening and to an american town ripped apart by scandal with two high school players on trial for rape.

their 16-year-old accuser said she was taken advantage of, too drunk to say no. it's divided a community so proud of football, but torn now. here's alex perez tonight. >> reporter: it's brought worldwide attention to steubenville, ohio, where the football is king, players the royal family and people pack the stands friday night. two standout players, trent mays and ma'lik richmond, are accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl after a night of underage drinking and partying last august. the defense argues mays and richmond did not commit rape. prosecutors argue she was too drunk to consent. today the accuser took the stand and recalled waking up after the alleged assault with no clothes. in the room with mays, richmond and one other male friend. she said, i was really embarrassed because i no idea what happened at all. i did not know what to think.

the case ignited a national firestorm on social media after a picture of the victim from the night in question was posted online. more than two dozen witnesses have testified so far. included as evidence, dozens of crude text messages exchanged by some who may have witnessed the alleged sexual assault and didn't report it. and the accusers is expected to remain into the evening hours of the trial, and it resumes tomorrow with testimony from investigators. >> alex, thanks. we turn to an investigation that involves food on your dinner table. the debate pitting some american farmers and the american agriculture industry, against the critics who say they should be able to video tape what happens on the farms. new laws blocking the cameras, and here's brian ross. >> reporter: it's a glamorous celebrity-packed awards event held in beverly hills. these are the genesis awards given by the humane society of the united states.

they often honor graphic, undercover videos of animal cruelty and mistreatment at what are called factory farms. wayne pacelle, the head of the humane society says such undercover videos have been the key to tough, new anticruelty law. >> this video led to the largest meat recall in american history. >> reporter: and this one which exposed cruelty and unsanitary conditions at major pork producers. but all of that could be coming to an end. under pressure from the agriculture industry, at least five states now have laws making it a crime to go undercover on farm properties to record videos. in iowa, the law passed just a few months after an abc news report which won a genesis award, featuring undercover footage at a huge iowa egg factory, taped by the group mercy for animals. >> if somebody come on somebody else's property through fraud or deception or lying, that is a serious violation of people's rights.

>> reporter: and agriculture lobbying groups have used influence and money to try to expand the ban. as part of the effort, they cite what happened to dairy farmers in idaho. an undercover investigator got a job at the huge dairy corporation last year and made these disturbing videos of fellow workers handling the cattle, including with electric prods. the five employees caught on tape were fired. even the owners agree it was a damning video. >> that's animal cruelty. >> reporter: but the bettencourts claim they had no idea of the mistreatment until authorities told them about the video. and they began to get phone and e-mail death threats. >> killing me, killing my kids, killing my grandkids. >> reporter: agriculture lobbyists claim that the agenda is not really the humane treatment of animals, but instead getting publicity, promoting a vegan lifestyle. the bettencourts concede they

are now using the video they so object to to train employees in their zero tolerance policy for cruelty. there's some good from this? >> yeah. >> reporter: but not enough in the view of farm lobbyists to stop the efforts that have made undercover taping on farms illegal in five states. brian ross, abc news, new york. there's much ahead. this saturday night, the bible blockbuster. >> in the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth. >> perhaps when you're one of the viewers, heavenly ratings and hunger for more from the bible. what's behind the renewed fascination and what's in the works involving a name that you'll know right after the break. hey, buddy? oh, hey, flo. you want to see something cool? snapshot, from progressive. my insurance company told me not to talk to people like you.

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before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. get headed in a new direction. with humira, remission is possible. it's been making headlines, and tonight we take note of the heavenly number for one program. the new series about the bible. beating programs like american idol. millions of american viewers showing there's endless hunger for stories from the scriptures. gio benitez reports. >> reporter: it's the epic story so many already know. yet more than 13 million people tuned in for the premier of "the bible" on the history channel. that's more than "american idol." >> this is not your grandfather's bible. >> this is wrong. >> everyone seems to be good

looking. there's beautiful sunsets, there's big production values. >> reporter: and big expectations. co-producer mark burnett sat down with "nightline's" cynthia mcfadden. >> millions will either open the bible or reopen the bible. maybe a billion. >> reporter: the story has captivated hollywood for decades, from the 10 commandments to mel gibson's "the passion of the christ" which broke box office records. why does the bible fascinate both believer and non-believer? bruce, author of "walking the bible," says the reason is in the mystery of the details. >> there is this desire to reconnect with the story. that continues today. i think if you can prove that one screw existed, you can prove the whole machine existed. >> reporter: and hollywood's search for biblical answers and ticket sales doesn't end with the mini series, russell crowe will star in a movie about

noah's ark next year. >> already underway, thank you. when we come back, the video shooting straight to the top of the "instant index," the flower girl who took everyone on quite a ride. ...so you say men are superior drivers? yeah? then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. silence. are you in good hands?

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now to the "instant index" here on a saturday night. what's trending this weekend. we've all been to a wedding where the flower girls play a starring role and the adults are so nervous about what could go wrong. this video is going viral. the ceremony is just getting started. a sudden holdup, here she comes. the guests wondering what's going on. a frightened flower girl comes charging down, and moments later, some of the older kids, the ring bearers look a little more confident. showing us how it's done. now to stunning images, the smithsonian with a tough task. they have to choose from 38,000 spectacular images capturing travels all over the world. this young boy in albuquerque, new mexico framed by a solar eclipse. this one looks like a painting. rice paddies in vietnam. the photographer climbing 2,000

feet up a mountain to capture it. and the milky way looking like it's exploding from a mountain. all entries in the photo competition. so many of you have been tweeting and leaving messages on facebook after our person of the week last night, the daughter who's obit for her father has gone viral. called by some as the best ever. the mississippi daughter using humor to remember her father who taught them to fish and pick out the perfect hammer. she showed us last night. on facebook, linda wrote me, i love this, i know there will be hundreds of customers at home depot using this method to find the perfect hammer. and i watched that story with tears on my face. my dad was the same, taught me to fish, got mad when i caught the biggest salmon. i miss him every day. we've posted the obit online with the person of the week. go to abcnews.com click "world news." if you missed it, we hope it leaves you with a smile. when we come back here tonight, the tradition started

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and finally here on a saturday night it is that time of year when girl scouts all over america deliver the cookies we ordered weeks ago. in one community, the heartless hoax, the girl scouts who thought they sold 6,000 boxes, but it was a prank. the whole idea of girl scout cookies was baked up nearly 100 years ago. every ingredient from the flour to the chocolate chips. eleanor roosevelt getting her cookies in 1942. then the psas years later aiming to help the girl scouts get the word out. >> the cookies are here. >> oh, the cookies are here. >> and tonight they're here again across america as the girl scouts get ready to deliver the boxes ordered weeks ago. >> the cookie are here.

and in portland, oregon, they were so excited because a company there had ordered 6,000 boxes of cookies, $24,000 worth. but it turns out the person behind the order didn't even work there. it was a hoax. those girl scouts had big plans for the money they thought they'd earned. >> we were going to camp and help the homeless shelter. >> they were going to cook dinner for the needy with the money raised. but this weekend, saddled with 6,000 boxes of cookies. they would try to sell them. >> it makes me so sad because i thought somebody really bought 6,000 cookies. but they really didn't. >> and asked how to sell them? >> i really have no clue. that is a lot of cookies. >> but when the town heard about it, the line started forming before they even opened the doors. janice was first in line holding a $100 bill. >> there's no reason to punish them because of the dishonesty of the adults. i'd like a case of the short bread and a case of the thin mints. >> and the orders came.

>> two tagalongs. >> four is a moe yas. >> two thin mints. >> one by one, trying to sell those 6,000 boxes. and that little scout named erin is convinced tonight they'll do it. >> the girl scouts are very hard workers. >> we're pulling for you, erin. we checked with them moments ago, 3,000 sold out of the 6,000 already. we have a hunch they'll sell them all. i'm david muir, i'll see you right back here, tomorrow night. good night.

>> carolyn: next at 6:00. big delays for passengers on a cruise ship. in port in san francisco. we'll have a live report. the search for a gunman accused of shooting two people during a nightclub robbery. >> an early start for st.~patrick's day. today's celebrations are what you need to look out for tonight. abc7 news at 6:00 starts now. >> carolyn: long lines and concerned passengers as the cruise ship departure is delayed for hours on the very day the ship makes its home in san francisco. good evening, i'm in for ama daetz. abc7 news reporter sergio quintana is live in san francisco with the details. sir sergio. >> the grand princess was suppose thoad make its way under the golden gate but it's still at port at peer -- pier 35.

there was a delay in boarding, and it's supposed to be on its way, but because of the delay it's not clear when it's going to leave port. a long line of passenger extended yards past the cruise terminal. many passengers were supposed to be onboard at 1:00 this afternoon, but according to an official embarkation was delayed by an extended inspection by the coast guard. the coast guard confirmed the enspecifics was expanded. they say passengers could not board while insuspectors were on board. at 4:00 p.m. when the ship was supposed to leave, this line of passengers finally started moving and people started boarding but not before patience wore thin. >> done pathetic job of keeping the passengers informed. we have been in loin three hours. >> if this is how we're starting

off, what is going to transspire on the cruise? >> the 2600 passenger grand princess just arrived in san francisco from south america. the passengers well by onboard for a 14-day cruise to hawai'i, then to mexico, then back to san francisco. now, some passengers did relate concern to me about the delay because, of course, there's been some mechanical problems with other cruise ships. but princess cruises and the coast guard has not said this delay is related to the seaworthiness of the ship. >> carolyn: you mentioned those other ships. the san francisco glitch marks the end of a bad week for the carnival corporation which runs both princess and carnival cruise lines. an emergency generator problem crippled the consider philadelphia ship dream in st. st. martin. and one ship was